It's hopeless.
No, everything goes dark before his eyes.
'What the hell… am I supposed to do with this?'
Kim Jangcheol lifted his head with a faintly dazed feeling. And he stared at the combat-type golem that had risen up tall before he even noticed.
"...."
An Arcana 2nd-generation combat-type golem?
That thing's specialty is a double core?
You have to strike the two cores—one in the head and one in the torso—at the exact same time, with exactly the same force, at exactly the same angle, without a single error, in order to destroy it?
Otherwise…
'It'll just regenerate endlessly.'
Grit!
The thought alone made his teeth clench on their own.
Who in their right mind had made something like that? He was more resentful toward whoever invented it than the person who created vacuum-sealed plastic packages sold at the supermarket.
But he had no time to dwell on it.
Fwoooosh!
The combat-type golem resumed its assault the moment it finished repairing itself! Kim Jangcheol lightly retreated, dodging the sweeping strike of its arm.
Even as he moved, his mind was racing.
'What do I do?'
Simultaneous strikes.
It was obviously impossible alone. The head and torso, where the golem's cores were located, were at least five meters apart.
'Do it with Zephyros? No way. Baal? We might be able to fight side by side, but there's no way we'd match timing or strength. Definitely impossible.'
No matter how he thought about it, it would only be possible if he could become two people, or—
'...Aged Kimchi.'
If that guy were here, maybe it could be done.
No joke.
He'd experienced it before. The entire way down here to the storage room, after breaking through the mines, he had felt it.
That sense of unity. That thrill, like moving in sync with a twin soul.
But now, that was nothing more than wishful thinking.
'If I'd known this would happen… I shouldn't have separated from him!'
Thud!
A massive crack split the ground. A pile of pumpkins exploded into the air amidst the chaotic battle.
He charged through flying pumpkin seeds and shattered rinds. He zigzagged, darted between the golem's legs, then slammed into the ground, reversing direction.
He leapt.
Toward the back of the golem's knee.
Crack!
A fracture split across the knee joint.
But the golem wasn't going down easily.
Whoosh!
It hurled something it had picked up out of nowhere. A gigantic wooden pallet, filled with dozens of cabbages.
".....!"
That would hurt like hell if it hit.
Judgment and reaction happened simultaneously. Sensing the danger, Kim Jangcheol immediately pulled back his right hand. Then swung it outward like he was flinging something.
Smash!
The moment of impact brought a shockwave through his whole body!
The pallet shattered under his hand strike and was blown away. The recoil slammed his body toward the ground.
Thud!
"....!"
That was a close one.
But there was no time to dawdle.
Almost the moment he landed, Kim Jangcheol rolled forward.
A fraction of a second later, the golem's foot came crashing down on the spot where he had just landed.
Wham!
"...Huff!"
Honestly, this was driving him insane.
Aged Kimchi. Why had he left that guy behind?
Right after the bargain sale ended, he had grabbed only what he needed and tried to flee. At the time, he had left Aged Kimchi with Reivaj and Richmond to make it easier to shake him off.
And it worked, successfully.
He had thought it was finally over.
He had been relieved.
'Damn it, damn it!'
Kim Jangcheol suppressed the urge to curse and got back up. Then leaped. Struck, dodged, slipped into the golem's blind spot, and struck again.
At the same time, he made a cold assessment.
'Let's admit it. There's no way I can destroy this thing by myself. And calling someone to bring Aged Kimchi? That's not an option either. If I separate even Zephyros, Baal, or a single servant, the people crowded at the exit will fall out of control and a catastrophe will happen.'
Even now, those three were barely holding things together and preventing a deadly stampede.
So there was only one conclusion.
'What I need to do now… is buy time.'
If it can't be destroyed, that's the best option.
To buy time until the hundreds of people could safely escape through the only exit. To hold the golem here so it wouldn't hurt anyone.
That was the best he could do right now.
'I'll just stall this thing, play along as best I can, and slip out when the time comes.'
And after that?
He didn't know.
Maybe bring Aged Kimchi and destroy the golem for good, then reassure everyone and resume the bargain sale.
Or maybe run off to the abandoned lands with just the seeds he had packed up before the sale started.
'I'll figure that out when the time comes!'
Dash!
The moment he came to a conclusion, he sprinted.
The golem, regenerating its shattered knee, hip, and side, gleamed with renewed light.
Faster than the golem's tracking gaze.
One step ahead.
Maximizing the advantage of seizing the initiative!
Crunch!
He hurled his body forward.
Kicked the golem square in the face.
The upper body of the golem lurched back violently. Its head caved in halfway. Through the cracks, the core was barely visible.
But that wouldn't be nearly enough.
…Or so he thought—until it happened.
Clack, clunk!
With a bizarre and ominous sound, the golem's chest armor suddenly opened. A deep hollow was visible inside.
A hole?
Yes, a hole.
But why was light gathering in the hole?
As if it was about to fire something right at him—
Fwoooosh—!
'...You've got to be kidding me!'
In the blink of an eye, a streak of blue-white mana fired straight from the golem's chest.
Far too fast.
It was a miracle he even managed to react.
"...!"
Almost by reflex, he ducked his head.
The beam of mana, no—laser—skimmed past the top of his head. A sudden, roasted smell stung his nose. Did it burn a few strands of his hair?
BOOM—!
The explosion that followed came from far behind his head. The beam had struck the ceiling of the storage room.
'The people—?'
Had anyone been caught in falling debris?
He frantically turned his gaze.
Thankfully, no one had been harmed. The beam had struck a part of the ceiling far from the emergency exit where the people were gathered.
But even so, his sense of urgency spiked.
'Damn it!'
This thing wasn't just a big hunk of muscle. It didn't just have brute strength and endurance. It even had a powerful ranged attack.
And what if it fired that at the people?
"...."
It would be a disaster. No—a massacre.
The people he had called here.
The people who had gathered, trusting him.
The ones who had smiled brightly because they could buy corn and pumpkins at cheap prices. Who were happy because they could fill their dinner tables with warmth for their families.
Would be hurt. Or die.
That—he couldn't allow it.
'Then it all becomes… my fault!'
Tap!
A crushing sense of responsibility bore down on him.
He couldn't give the golem time to attack from a distance. He had to stay close. Push it even harder, give it no time to act.
'This is getting brutal.'
The golem drew rapidly closer.
A bitter grin crossed his lips for a second.
He shook off the stray thoughts. Focused his mind. Regulated his breathing. Reawakened the seed in his chest.
Wrrrrring—!
The Mana Seed roared its song of amplification. The power coursing through his body grew fiercer through the seed.
A storm of force surged through his body.
A destructive power racing to erupt.
He hurled it all into the charge toward the golem. Reached upward with his hand. Called out the summoning chant in his heart.
Flash!
In response to his call, a subspace portal opened in midair.
And from within, a massive chair fell. One bristling with farm tools. Incredibly welcome and reassuring.
BOOM—!
He yanked the chair from where it embedded in the ground. Held it, then charged forward. Toward the golem's open chest plate. Leapt in, raising the chair high.
Poured all his amplified mana into it.
And struck down with all his might.
CRASH!
A ferocious chair shot!
The chair was crushed.
Dozens of farming tools that had formed the chair were driven into the golem's chest.
Right into the launch port where it had been concentrating its magic.
BOOM—!
The condensed mana in the launch port was disrupted by the farming tools.
And before it could even be fired, it exploded inside its chest.
But Kim Jangcheol didn't stop.
'Can't let it rest. If I do... the people will be in danger!'
He had to push harder.
More.
No time to recover.
No chance to collect itself!
Thunk
The moment he landed, he reached out his hand.
There it was—a familiar object that had been summoned along with the chair.
The grip of a millstone handle, the comforting feel filling his palm.
Fwoooosh! CRRRRASH!
He raised the millstone while running. Grabbed handle, spun it through the air.
The two stone discs of the millstone began to spin violently.
Furiously.
Even more fiercely.
'One more hit...!'
He launched himself forward.
Toward the golem's head, which was staggering as it tried to recover from the previous blow.
He jumped.
Amplified his power as if detonating the Mana Seed. Infused that strength into the millstone's rotation.
And struck.
BOOM—!
The side of the golem's head was completely crushed.
Its massive body tilted under the shock.
But it didn't fall completely.
Thud!
The combat golem spread one leg wide and planted it firmly on the ground.
Could it be… it withstood it?
'Huff, huff! It... withstood that...?'
It was unexpected.
That was an all-out strike with everything he had. Yet it didn't fall?
How?
But there was no time to dwell on confusion.
Because the golem's counterattack came immediately.
Whoooosh!
".....!"
Its massive arm swept through the air toward him.
But he was still mid-air.
No way to dodge.
In that case—he had to charge straight in!
"Kh…!"
He awakened the Mana Seed once again.
Another roar.
A burst of willpower wrung from deep inside.
The golem's forearm rushed toward him, already almost at his face.
He drove the millstone forward with everything he had.
....!
Suddenly, everything went dark.
Did it hit him?
Or did he manage to hit it back properly?
Thunk!
His dazed consciousness snapped back only after he instinctively landed safely.
Only then did Kim Jangcheol notice.
'The millstone…'
It was shattered.
Only the handle remained in his hand.
"Damn it."
He had no choice but to admit it now.
He was getting seriously tired.
'.......'
The Mana Seed was great, but this was its flaw.
It packed a punch, but drained too much stamina.
Its output was powerful, but its efficiency was terrible.
Meanwhile, the golem… showed no signs of exhaustion.
'Then… what about the people?'
He quickly wiped off his sweat and looked around.
How many had escaped in that time?
How many were left?
How much longer did he need to keep this up?
As he looked back—
Their eyes met.
A child watching him.
The same child he had saved earlier.
"........"
Why was that child, who likely didn't understand anything, looking at him with such eyes?
Tearful, small fists clenched tight.
Could it be… they were cheering for him?
He didn't know.
But what he knew for sure was—
'Not even half have made it out yet.'
He couldn't breathe.
Was that all the time that had passed?
He was already this exhausted.
And the golem seemed even more energetic.
Fwoooosh—!
".....!"
The golem's foot came crashing down again.
Like stepping on a bug.
A ruthless drop of destructive violence.
"...Huff!"
He inhaled sharply.
Pushed his clearly heavy body to move.
Forced more power from the Mana Seed.
That was when it began.
Kim Jangcheol's desperate assault continued.
Dodge, charge, strike down.
Shake off, slip by, smash.
Thrown, rolled, got back up.
Gasped for breath, sprinted again.
His legs, his whole body grew heavier and heavier.
His breath caught in his throat.
But he didn't give up.
He didn't retreat.
'I… may not be able to draw out 100% of Demon King Credos' stats...!'
At best, he could only use a quarter of the original power.
But he didn't want to compromise.
If he did, people would get hurt.
They would die.
People who trusted him and came here would pay the price.
He couldn't allow that.
He wanted to endure.
No matter what it took.
Even if he had to crawl and claw his way forward.
But soon, physical limits overwhelmed his will.
BOOM—!
The golem's fist pounded down without hesitation!
He barely dodged, leaping to the side.
As he landed, swatting away flying debris—
Slip!
"...Huh?"
Was it because of fatigue?
Or had his focus slipped?
His foot missed its mark.
A small misstep.
But a fatal one.
He had to stumble three or four steps to avoid falling.
That brief stumble—
Stole away all his momentum in the relentless battle.
And handed the golem a golden opportunity.
Fwoooosh!
A storm-like blast from above his head!
Kim Jangcheol looked up instinctively—
And felt like his brain had been bleached pure white.
'No…'
Like swatting a bug—
The golem's fist plummeted toward him.
BOOOOM—!
"....!"
Kim Jangcheol's bangs fluttered.
His eyes widened.
It felt like the world had slowed down.
The golem's fist hurtled toward him with terrifying speed.
As massive as an elevator.
Within it—killing intent.
Violence.
No way to dodge.
Only overwhelming despair rushing in.
Can't dodge?
Me?
'Ah…'
He realized it.
He wouldn't be able to avoid this.
No time to counter.
It was already too late.
So this—
Was a hit he had no choice but to take.
Then what about the people?
If he got hit and sent flying—
If he opened a path for the golem—
If the golem charged at the crowd—
The people who trusted him and gathered here?
What would happen?
He didn't care what happened to him.
But those people—
Please.
'…Please!'
He raised both arms desperately.
To try and hold on.
To not be blown away.
He clenched his eyes shut in resolve.
No—he tried to.
But in that moment—
"Move."
"...!"
Kim Jangcheol saw it.
A calm voice out of nowhere.
A back that rushed in without hesitation.
Who?
'Ah.'
A back he knew all too well.
The one he had watched the entire time playing this game.
The one he had raised—but had since left his hands.
Thud—!
Aged Kimchi's feet grounded firmly into the earth.
At the same time, the golem's charging fist.
He threw his own punch to meet it head-on.
....!
A thunderous collision.
In that instant of impact—
The golem's massive fist—along with its arm, shoulder, and half its upper torso—
Was shattered in a single strike and blown away.
[T/L: I am not getting any support from webnovel platform, so please support me and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]